The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, has emphasised “the need for increased cooperation among religious communities to promote peace and peaceful coexistence in Nigeria and beyond.”
Mr Abubakar, who is the President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, NSCIA, stated this when he received the Vatican Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, on Monday in Sokoto. He reaffirmed “his commitment to working towards maintaining and improving the security situation, not just in Nigeria but across the world.”
Abubakar praised “the Catholic community, especially in Nigeria, for its cooperation and commitment to peaceful coexistence in the country.”
He also acknowledged “their willingness to work with him through various interfaith organisations and activities to ensure that peace and security are promoted in Nigeria.”
The Sultan frowned at “the circulation of hate speech among citizens and assured of more collaboration to fight the menace.”
“To a large extent, hate speech has been most injurious to peaceful coexistence in the country. It has created what may be described as perceptual and relational crises among faith communities in Nigeria. Therefore, there is a strong call for all religious and faith communities to work together to combat hate speech, especially the growing and unfortunate phenomenon whereby some individuals openly insult religious leaders who are highly respected within their various faith communities,” he said.
According to him, “there is a need to curb such behaviour and ensure that people refrain from insulting not only prominent religious figures but also ordinary individuals, who equally deserve respect.”
Earlier, Gallagher said that “the essence of the visit was to promote mutual understanding and emphasise the need for cooperation among religious and faith communities in promoting peaceful coexistence.”
Mr Gallagher also called for “more proactive measures against hate speech and fake news, which he described as another evil being used to precipitate a lot of trouble in the country.”
“It is something that we must collectively confront,” he said.
He urged “religious leaders and groups to address the overall moral decadence that is holding sway in the world today.”
“We are witnessing a great deal of moral degeneration and moral perversion globally, and it is the duty of religious leaders and faith workers to ensure that these challenges are confronted. We assure you of our commitment to working towards maintaining and improving the security situation, not just in Nigeria but across the world,” he said.
Both leaders pledged “to work together to tackle the proliferation of atheism, the growing rejection of God among young people.”
Mr Gallagher is “a key personality from the Vatican and heads the office that coordinates diplomatic relationships and international linkages at the Vatican.”
His entourage included “officials from the Vatican, as well as leaders of the Catholic community in Nigeria.”